Electric switch



1. M. RONALTER. I

ELECTRIC SWITCH. APPLICATION mm oci. INQO.

1,428,186. Pamo lspt; '5, 1922.

Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

ELECTRIC' SWITCH.

Application filed-0ctober 7, 1920. Serial No. 415,282

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnrH M. RONALTER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at.

Stafford Springs, in the county of Tolla-nd and. State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elec-i trioSwitches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it zipper-- tains to make and use the same.

The object of the invention is to provide tion at the moment of theoperator or at-r tendant; and more especially to provide an apparatusfor the purpose indicated in which an ordinary alarm clock may bepositioned when it is desired to time the switch for operationautomatically, the clock or time piece under ordinary conditions beingused for its normal purpose and with these objects in view the inventionconsists ina construction and combination of parts of which a preferredembodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein;

Figure 1 is a side view of the device showlation therewith.

Figure 2 is a front view.

ing; an alarm clock arranged in operative re- Figure3is a detail view ofthe clutch bit for engaging the alarm key.

Mounted upon a suitable base 10 having a seat 11 for an alarm clock 12of the ordinary commercial type is a standard 13 carrying a revolubleswitch spindle 14 to the front end of which is attached a setting knob15 and to the rear end of which is fixed a clutch disc 16 perforated asshown at 17 for engagement with the prongs of an ordinary alarm clockkey 18. A coiled sprin 19 may be arranged upon the spindle to old theclutch disc in engagement with the prongs of the alarm key and also tomaintain a proper yielding Contact of the switch tongue 20 in positionfor engagement with a terminal 21 shownin the'drawing as of arcuateform, said switch tongue and terminal 21 being connected by circuitwires 22 and 23 with thejbinding posts 24 with which connection may bemade to a lighting circuit.

7 Arranged in the path of movement of the switch tongue are the stops 25and 26 serving to check therotary movement of said tongue in eitherdirection, and respectively 1n contact with the terminal 21 and out ofcontact therewith, according to whether the switch at a predeterminedtime set by the alarm clock is to be either opened or closed. The alarmclock obviously may be set in the ordinary way to be released at apredetermined time, and when the alarm is released r the key 18 isrotated and communicates motion through the clutch disc to the spindleof the switch which causes the switch tongue either to come into Contactwith or to move out of contact with the terminal 21 until checked by oneor the other ofthe stop pins 25 and 26. The clutch disc is screwthreaded on the spindle 14 so as to turn. Obviously if the switch is toremain closed, to correspondingly maintain the lighting circuit closeduntil a predetermined time at which it is desired that it shall beopened, the

switch tongue should be arranged in the position indicated in full linesin Figure 2 substantially in contact with the stop pin 25 and in Contactwith the terminal 21, and when the alarm is released said switch tonguewill be turned to the dotted line position as in Figure 2. On the otherhand if the desire of the operator isto leave the circuit open and haveit closed at a predetermined time in advance the switch should be pulledagainst the tension of spring 19 and moved across contacto26 so thatwhen the alarm sounds the switch tongue will be turned until it comesinto contact with the stop pin 25 and therefore in engagement with theterminal 21, whereupon further movement of the switch tongue will beprevented, the clutch disc turning idly upon the switch spindle.

What is claimed is y 1. An electric switch apparatus including a switchdevice having a clutch, and an alarm clock, means to urge the clutchinto engagementwith the spindle of said alarm mounted therein, a switcharm on said spindle, means engugeable by the arm to enclose an electriccircuit, stop means engageable by said arm, and an attaching clutch onthe spindle and it spring to urge said clutch away from the standardsand to permit retraction of the spindle to facilitate movement of theswitch arm across the stop means.

3. An electrical switch apparatus having :1 bnse provided with it seatfor an alarm clock, a revoluhle spindle mounted upon a standard of saidbase, a switch tongue carried by the spindle, an arcuate terminalarranged in the path oil movement of said switch tongue the switchtongue and terminzil being electrically connected with hinding postsstops for limiting the movement of the switch tongue, a perforatedclutch disc mounted upon the spindle for engagement. with an alarm clockkey, and a spring coiled upon the spindle in terminal engagement withsaid clutch disc for yieldingly holding the latter in turning relationwith the spindle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. RONALTIGR.

WVitnesscs GLAnrs HoULn, v M. MAUDE GUMMISKEY.

